Ripples Across the Lake
by fateblurred
Summary: For 30 kisses on LJ. Turbulence in the usual calm.


Title: Ripples Across the Lake  
Author/Artist: Shirahime  
Pairing: Konzen & Goku  
Fandom: Saiyuki

Rating: PG  
Theme: #4-Our distance and that person

Word count: 984  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Saiyuki Gaiden and I'm not making any money from them.

Goku bounded toward Konzen's rooms, clutching a small item in his hand. It was a colored stone that he'd found by the lake that he sometimes visits. The blue and white swirls on the stone had fascinated him, and he thought that it would make a nice gift for his caretaker. Goku smiled to himself. He thought of the image of Konzen scowling as he usually did when he gave him some item from around heaven that he'd found. And as usual, the god would probably put it on his desk despite his complaints, just like the flowers that Goku always brought him.

As Goku entered, he was about to call out when he heard the sound of talking. Tenpou was apparently with Konzen in one of the inner rooms, and they seemed to be discussing some serious matter. Something made Goku pad quietly over to the door, which was slightly ajar. He watched the two gods through the opening. Konzen sat on a couch against the far wall, his arms folded against his chest and his head slightly bowed. Tenpou sat nearby, gazing at his friend intently.

"Sometimes, I wonder, Tenpou…" Goku heard Konzen say in a low voice.

"What's that, Konzen?"

"Sometimes I wonder if Goku belongs in Heaven, caught up in the politics of this place. It was a mistake for him to have been brought here. Maybe I should talk to Kanzeon about sending him back under Heaven…"

Goku's eyes widened in horror and disbelief. He absently noted the sound of Tenpou's voice, sympathetic and soothing, but the rest of the conversation became a blur as he tried to stave off the wetness that rose from his eyes. Failing in this, tears trickled down his cheeks that soon became a flood. _He really doesn't want me here,_ Goku thought. Turning from the door, he raced out of the room and down the hallway, chains rattling as he went.

"Goku!" Konzen called as he walked through the gardens. Where had he gone? While he had been talking to Tenpou, the god had heard a muffled sob and then retreating footsteps. He feared that Goku may have heard part of his conversation with the other god, maybe the wrong part, and was now getting ideas in that head of his. There's no way that he could have already left Heaven, was there?

The very thought of this gave Konzen an uncomfortable tightening in his chest. The thought of being alone, of not waking up to the sound of Goku clamoring about breakfast, or even the sight of the youth folding his papers into airplanes, was suddenly terrifying.

A sense of relief washed over Konzen as he found Goku by a large lake, the towering sakura above casting shadows over the pool and the youth's small form. Goku's back was to him, his shoulders slumped. With a choked sob, Goku suddenly cast a small object forward that skittered noisily across the surface of the placid lake until it sank below the surface. As Konzen approached, Goku didn't turn around, but whether he was ignoring the god or was just too lost in thought to notice, Konzen couldn't say.

"So, this is where you ran off to?" Konzen asked after a long moment. "It was troublesome looking around this huge place for you all this time, you know-"

Goku interrupted without looking up at his caretaker. "So is that why you're going to send me away? Because I've become a bother?"

"Goku," Konzen sighed.

Goku turned suddenly, training tearful and angry eyes up at the god. "I was happy where I was. I didn't even know that I was lonely. You guys took me away from that place and brought me up here, and now you want to send me away? I've met people here that I really like. Why did you bring me to Heaven in the first place if you were just going to take that all away?"

Gazing down at Goku, the emotion that Konzen saw in golden eyes made him ache. Maybe this place wasn't the right one for Goku, the safe place for him. But could the god let him leave now? Goku wasn't the only one who hadn't realized that he'd been lonely all this time.

Konzen sank to the petal-covered ground, reaching out for his small charge, who had begun to hurriedly rise, pulling him down into his lap.

"Let go!" Goku insisted as he pushed against his keeper. He froze in shock as he felt strong arms circling around him to pull him close. Konzen had never done this before. And how did the god become so warm?

"I'd never send you away," Konzen said as he held Goku in his lap. "I'm too used to all of your racket. It would be too quiet around here without it." Goku uttered a choked sob, and Konzen was surprised to find himself pulling him closer, a hand slipping up to smooth unruly dark hair as he cradled his precious bundle against his chest.

Goku stopped sobbing at the sensation of lips against the top of his head. He pulled back to gaze up at Konzen with wide tear-filled eyes. The god looked surprised, a hint of pink staining his cheeks.

"Konzen, did you just-?"

"I only did it to get you to stop all that crying," the god said quickly, frowning. His expression softened somewhat. "You don't have to be upset. No one is going to make you go anywhere."

"But you said-"

"Don't worry about what I said before, okay? I changed my mind. How could I let someone like you roam around somewhere getting into trouble?"

Goku smiled, and snuggled back against Konzen, one of the god's hands moving to stroke his back. They sat like that for a time by the lake, one of Goku's fingers twirling a lock of golden strands.

End


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